Demolition drive stalled over ‘wrong’ marking in some areas, later resumed

The anti-encroachment drive being launched by the State administration in Dehradun while acting on the order of the State High Court was delayed for some time in some areas as the squad reached the marked areas to raze down the illegal structures on Saturday. Some people came out to resist the drive, saying that the way the structures meant for demolition were marked was wrong and no operation should be done on the basis of such erroneous marking. They also showed registration-related papers and the corporation-cleared maps of the marked areas to buttress their point. The members of the squad read the documents following which fresh markings were held and the drive started. The city magistrate Manoj Goyal said that 45 illegal structures were razed down as part of the court-ordered drive in different parts of the city on Saturday. “Besides, four shops were sealed on the day,” he added. 

Notably, the senior administrative officers said earlier that the demolition drive would gain further momentum on Saturday and Sunday in view of the traffic being less during the weekend. As part of the anti-encroachment drive, a total of 88 encroachments had been demolished, 513 encroachments, marked and six buildings, sealed on Friday.

The people who resisted the drive in the morning alleged that two separate teams dong the marking and launching the drive was responsible for the mess. Speaking out his grievances on the wrong marking done by the team concerned, owner of a medicine shop Aggarwal Pharmacy located on Haridwar Road, said that as per the marking earlier done, structures standing on undisputed portions of the areas under their ownership would be demolished. “This is absolutely wrong. We have relevant papers and maps with us to prove our point,” he said.

Several other traders who have been trading from the place for years wondered why they had been allowed to build their shops on encroached lands and to do business from there for long. “It is unjust on their part to show up one morning and say they would raze down the structures as they are located on encroached land. What our point is that they should act from the beginning. We are ready to cooperate with them,” said one of them. 

When asked whether the marking was done wrongly some officers leading the demolition squad agreed while others said that they would work as per the markings done.  Superintendent land,  Municipal Corporation Dehradun said that there might be some mistakes in the measurements of the encroached areas. “May be, things  went a little off the mid-point mark during the measurement done by the team,” he said.  

Queried over the dispute over marking of the encroached areas, the city magistrate  Manoj Goyal said that they were very minor in nature. “The drive would continue in full swing in the coming days till the city is freed of the squatters as per the court order,” he added.